Finding Out
by Storm Elf
Summary: After admiting his love for Dee, Ryo takes him to spend some time with his aunt and uncle who took him in after his parents death, warning Dee not to let them find out about thier relationship.
1. Chapter One

Ok, lets try this story again! This time from the true beginning, not the crap before it! (oh, for those who missed out on this fact, this is my fourth try at the story. First I wrote it and was too embarrassed to post it anywhere, then I fixed it and posted it on a different site. After that, I edited it a little and slapped up on ff.net. still wasn't happy with it. Finally I decided that I hated it and wanted to write it differently, so I did! This is the result)  
  
You might want to read Learning to Love, but you don't have to. It is how they get together and you learn a little bit about Ryo's past according to me. You also meet a person with a really tiny part in the manga! A whole one panel!  
  
Timeline- screw the timeline! I don't know what happens after the fourth book so forget about it!  
  
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Finding Out,  
  
Chapter one,  
  
Two months after admitting my love to him, Dee had as good as moved into my apartment. Bikky had raised hell about it but Dee had gotten him to stop saying that it clearly made me happy. I didn't say a word.  
  
They rushed around the apartment, trying to clean it up. I had yelled at them for trashing it because Aunt Elena, the one who took me in after my parents died, was planning on visiting that day. She was on a filming expedition in Canada and her group was stopping in Niagara falls for a week. She took two days out of that to visit me because it was not too long of a drive.  
  
As much as I had wanted to see her, I had been worried. I had told her stories about Dee and she was anxious to meet him. I had left out everything about our love, but it might be obvious to her. I had never approached them about the topic. I knew my parent's stance on it from when my friend came out. They did not personally agree with it but they still supported my friendship with him because they knew all of what he had gone through.  
  
She arrived just a little late, pounding on the door and announcing her arrival in her booming voice. Bikky got to the door first and opened it up. She was carrying camera equipment with one arm, her stuff with the other, and somehow also managed to be carrying gifts as well. Her hair was all of her that could be seen between the small gaps of boxes.  
  
"Are you moving in or something?" Dee asked as he stood up from the couch to help her with all of it.  
  
"Yes, actually I am!" She laughed and dove into one of the bags of stuff. After disappearing half way into it, she stood up with a box in her hand. She handed out gifts to everyone. She even had one for Carol, though she was not here at the moment.  
  
With gifts out of the way she began to talk to Dee. The topics were neutral at first, just stuff about his normal life. I was out of the room during the talk but I could hear all of it. My heart stopped when she began questioning his love life. I didn't want her to find out yet.  
  
"Dee!" I called from the other room, I had to get him out of there. "Could you come here for a sec? I need your help."  
  
I knew that I had sounded desperate, maybe it was a good thing. Dee did come and didn't answer Aunt Elena's question. I took him into the bedroom and I sat on the bed that we now shared. "Dee, I love you, remember that." I looked into his deep green eyes, big mistake. His warm smile was more than I could handle. Right then and there I wanted the world to know that I could not live without him. His touch was what kept me going.  
  
Aunt Elena laughed from the other room, Bikky was entertaining her for the moment. It snapped me out of whatever daze I had been in. "I don't want her to know. I don't know how she will react."  
  
I expected Dee to go one about how it was wrong to lie to those that you loved. He was right, but that was not what he did. He sat down next to me and put his arm around me. I leaned oh his shoulder and looked up into his eyes again. "Take as long as you want, love, I don't care who knows or doesn't know, just as long as you are with me." He kissed the top of my head before standing up and helping me up as well.  
  
He walked out of the room and started talking to Aunt Elena again, claiming that he had been helping me with a drawer that had gotten stuck and had required two people to open it. I inwardly thanked him for his quick thinking.  
  
Dee ate dinner with us before leaving for his own apartment for the first time this month. Aunt Elena had clearly liked him and she adored Bikky. That night, after Bikky had headed off to his room, she approached me with a question.  
  
"You know very much that your uncle and I miss you very much. We hardly get to see you anymore. I want you to visit us, and bring the two of them with you if you could. I know that Dee and Rick will get along wonderfully. As for Bikky, I'm sure that he would have fun at the beach and the amusement park. What do you say? Will you stay with us for a week? Rick and I are both going to be home all of next week."  
  
"Really? That would be great! Dee and I are due for a break. I'm sure that the chief would give us time off. I'm not sure if Bikky could make it though. It would mean missing vacation with Carol. She is going somewhere with her grandmother and invited him along." I never stopped to think of what it would mean to take Dee over to Aunt Elena and Uncle Rick's house. I had no idea how they would react if it somehow slipped the I loved Dee. Bikky wouldn't be there to remind him to behave and I was never any good at getting him to. By the time that I had thought of all this, she had already left the next day and it was a little too late.  
  
I asked Dee about it the next night in bed, right before we went to sleep. He assured me that we didn't have to worry about anyone finding out but I wasn't convinced. He always had a tendency to over do things, not knowing when to stop. I love him for it sometimes, but now was not one of those times.  
  
"Stop being a worry wart!" he assured me, sighing deeply for the thousandth time that night, "I'll even let you set the rules!"  
  
I laid on my back and looked up at the ceiling. "Alright, rule number one, you cannot mention anything about our relationship in public. That includes innuendos." Dee nodded and gave me a slight peck on the cheek. "Number two, I want you to lay off, even in privet. If someone should happen to walk in."  
  
"I got it" Dee interrupted. "Make sure that we look like friends at all times, even when we are the only ones there. I am not going to mess this up for you, don't worry." His bold confidence reassured me but I knew that it wasn't true. He would, in some small way, always show his affection. Even if we were just walking down the street, people would look at us. His love was just that obvious.  
  
"Ryo, I know that you are worried, but it isn't as obvious as you think it is. People want to think that two men walking down the street are just friends going out to get a beer or meet up with more friends. You probably think that everyone who sees us together know that we are a couple, even normal people on the streets."  
  
"But Dee, a lot of the people watch us! They know." There were some people looking at us just the other day as we were walking to some place or another. Three girls kept their eyes glued on us the entire time.  
  
"Who wouldn't be watching you. Just take a look at your body for a second and ask yourself that. You are beautiful Ryo, that is what they were looking at. Those girls didn't see two men madly in love with each other, they just saw you. I'd be surprised if they even knew that I was there. Not everyone in the world is going to reject you for this. Out of those who will, very few will ever do it to your face." Dee hugged me close to his warm body, comforting me as I drifted to sleep.  
  
I called Aunt Elena first thing in the morning. I told her that it wouldn't be a problem. She told me that Uncle Rick would be thrilled when he found out but she had to go, they were about to film.  
  
Dee, who was right there with me while I was on the phone, wrapped his arm around me. He tilted my face upwards until I looked into his clear green eyes. He couldn't be wrong, everything would go along just fine.  
  
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Well, how did you like it? Please let me know. Remember to tell the truth now! I enjoy reading things that say "Well, it was good except for." If you do happen to be one of the people who don't think that there is anything wrong with it then at least tell me what you liked most. (like my brother does. Oh, he does willingly read yaoi, and he isn't gay, isn't that cool? For a long time I thought that I would never find a friend who reads yaoi other than internet friends!)  
  
Anyway, review, be honest, what did you like, what didn't you like, you know the drill. 


	2. Chapter Two

The last chapter that I put up didn't have the response that I had hoped for. (sniff, hardly any reviews)  
  
IMPORTANT!!!!!! If you haven't read the revised version of the first chapter, I highly advice it or you will be so lost that you cant find the back button because what was then the first chapter is now a different story and what was the second chapter is now the first. That would mean that this chapter WAS the third and is NOW the second. See what I mean? You would be confused! I also suggest reading "Learning to Love" before reading chapter six because there are some references to people seen in it. You could read it without it, but it wouldn't be that good of an idea I don't think. It would make more sense to you if you had read it. While you are at it, why don't you read "Behind Blue Eyes" which has nothing to do with anything but I think it's good. Ok, enough shameless promoting!  
  
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Everything had been set the night before. Dee would drop Bikky off at Carol's while I finished packing up everything that we would need. Together, we would go to the airport and catch our flight to Aunt Elena's house. The chief had even given us time off together after Dee begged him for over an hour.  
  
Dee walked in the door and let out a yell. "YES! We are now officially free of the brat!" I suppressed a laugh and tried to tell him to behave himself. Needless to say, it didn't work well. He swooped me up in his arms and began kissing me. It was indescribable, all of the joy that I was feeling went into it. By the time that it ended we were both reduced to puddles. I hugged him close to me and tried to tell him how much I loved him. As usual, I fell short because nothing can describe my feelings.  
  
The lines at the airport were hectic at best. Dee commented that it was easier to buy illegal weaponry than get on a plane. I didn't ask how he knew that, the answer would worry me. The first plane would get us about half way there, stopping in Utah or something like that. We would wait there for an hour before taking a different plane to the airport near Aunt Elena and Uncle Rick's house. They would be meeting us there to drive us to their house.  
  
During the trip over, Dee questioned me about what we would be doing. He wanted to know every detail, from the phone number to the color of the walls. "Where will I be sleeping?" he asked as the fasten seatbelt light came on during the first decent.  
  
"Most likely with me. I also have a large bed over there and the only other place would be the couch. I don't think that they will banish either of us to that." At first I had been worried about what that would mean. Dee did sleep next to me many night but he had not exactly kept his hands to himself. Often I would wake up in his warm embrace. It wasn't that I minded, just that I didn't want Aunt Elena or Uncle Rick to see.  
  
Other than the sleeping arrangements, I wasn't worried about his behavior. He knew when to keep off of me for the most part. One look in his eyes could prove to me that he knew just how important it was to me that this remain secret. I could trust him to do his best to keep it like that.  
  
We milled around the airport together, looking for information on a nice place to eat lunch. Before we could find one, Dee pulled me to the side. "Ryo, I know that you don't want your aunt and uncle finding out about us yet, but it isn't fair to lie to them. From what I have seen of our aunt, I don't think that she would mind. Actually, I think that she already knows. It wouldn't surprise me."  
  
"I know, but, well, I don't think that I can tell them yet. Don't get me wrong, I want them to know, but I'm scared." I looked into his eyes and his arms wrapped around me. I wanted to protest, it was a public place, anyone could be watching, but I needed the comfort right now.  
  
"I understand. I nearly shit myself when it came to telling penguin. Don't worry about it so much." My jaw must have gone through the floor and smacked into the basement. Dee, the same Dee that had tried to kiss me my first week on the job, had ever been nervous when it came to talking about his sexuality? I began pressing him for details of what had happened. He soon went into story mode.  
  
STORY MODE (meaning that it is from Dee's pov to Ryo)  
  
This teenager came to the orphanage. I think that his name was Joe but I could be wrong. Anyway, I fell in love with him, or so I thought. It turned out to be nothing but lust but if you had seen him then you couldn't blame me, he was hot, not as hot as you though. Anyway, Timith, a jerk who had always hated me, saw us one time. We were making out in a dark corner somewhere, that was about as far as I ever got with him. The point is the he started blackmailing us with it. We gave him our money, did his work, and eventually got sick and tired of it.  
  
We stood outside of penguin's room for over an hour thinking of how to tell her. When we finally got up the courage to tell her she confessed that she had known for months and was very happy for us. Timith was pissed and decided to beat up Joe so I beat the shit out of him and sent him to the hospital, end of story.  
  
END STORY MODE (back to Ryo's pov)  
  
He had no idea how reassuring it was to know that he had gone through the same thing, even if it was a tad violent at the end. Until he began his story, it seemed like I was the only one going through it, the only one who had ever risked rejection.  
  
"You just need to relax some. You might be embarrassed about it now, but that will go away soon enough and you will realize that not everyone in the world is going to reject you. Even if they do, who are they to say what is right for you?"  
  
"Dee, people are staring at us." A worried tone crept into my voice. I always feared rejection, this was only making it worse.  
  
"Let them stare, what do their opinions matter anyway. We don't know them and they are scum if they have something against us. Oh, and if you are wondering why they are watching us, it is because you have just about crawled into my lap." A perverted smile slapped its self into his face. I pushed him away lightly, knowing that it would get me nowhere, and then nestled back into his chest. "See, you are relaxing already. A few weeks ago, you wouldn't have allowed me to glance in your direction in public."  
  
"Dee, I love you." I did not hear his response, I was drifting to sleep in his arms. Being up late had taken its toll on me. The rest of the trip was nothing more than a blur. I remembered Dee waking me up and getting on the plane. After that, I believe that I just leaned heavily on Dee, sleeping during most of the flight.  
  
When I got off of the plane I was fully awake again. Aunt Elena was waiting for me at the airport. Uncle Rick was getting home from work late so he couldn't be there to meet us but he would be home by the time that we were. Dee and Aunt Elena talked most of the way there as I just sat there like a bump on a log. I listened in on the conversation carefully. If he dared to let anything about our romance slip then he would get nothing for a year, not that he was getting any to begin with. I remained steadfast on that issue as of yet.  
  
Just as promised, Uncle Rick was home when we got there. He greeted me warmly but not as warmly as I had expected. Something about his personality remained reserved tonight. I was left to wonder.  
  
I gave Dee the grand tour of the house, knowing where everything was already. Aunt Elena wanted to talk to Uncle Rick for a little bit by themselves. Something was beginning to worry me.  
  
"This is the kitchen" His eyes wandered around the spotless tiles, flawless counter tops, and shiny appliances. Everything about my aunt and uncle's house was perfect. "And over here is the dining room." The dining room was les formal than the kitchen. The tan colored walls were spotted with photographs taken by Aunt Elena and some of my embarrassing talent-less artwork.  
  
"I like this room." Dee's arm began to snake around my back. I glared at him to remind him of where we were and he dropped it to his side.  
  
"Come on, I'll show you my room." Dee followed me up the wooden stairs. I knew that he was noticing how polished the banister was and thinking of how fun it would be to slide down it. His thoughts are so predictable that it is no longer amusing.  
  
My room was done in a soft blue with ivy painted on the doorframe and the window sill. My mother had done it when I was young. I could never bring myself to paint over it. Dee nodded approvingly and moved on to the bed. The bedspread was mixed with blues, greens and light purples. He felt the surface, smiling the entire time. Once again, his thoughts were easy to predict.  
  
"Ryo, I hate to bring up the topic again, but." Dee stepped closer to me, willing me to do the same. I refused. I could not allow him to ignore what I had told him about staying off of me.  
  
"I will tell them, just not yet!" I let out a deep sigh and turned away. I could not deal with this right now. "come on, we had better go downstairs, dinner will be ready soon."  
  
Dee agreed once he saw that he couldn't persuade me otherwise. Dee went right into the living room even though I had planned on the kitchen. When Aunt Elena and Uncle Rick weren't in either of those places I checked in their room. I saw their shadows move around under the door and heard their voices.  
  
"I'm telling you, it just isn't natural!" Uncle Rick bellowed in his deep voice. Aunt Elena tried to sneak something in but she was cut off. "We should have nipped this in the bud but you decided not to. You thought that I was wrong. Now look what he is doing!"  
  
"Um, Uncle Rick," I knocked on the door. They stopped talking and opened the door. Aunt Elena quickly apologized, explaining that they were talking about someone in the filming crew. Funny, I didn't know that anyone was giving her any trouble.  
  
We all sat down for dinner not long after that. Uncle Rick talked to Dee and I re-familiarized myself with Aunt Elena for a little bit before slipping into Uncle Rick and Dee's conversation. They were talking about the normal stuff. "What school did you go to? Oh, well if you went there then you must have known so-and-so! You didn't meet him? You would have liked him, trust me." Everything went fine until he recalled someone else who went to the same academy as Dee.  
  
"You don't know anyone by the name of Jeremy J Adams, do you?" Dee was caught off guard. Although questions about JJ were few and far between, right then I know that he was wishing that they were fewer and farther between.  
  
"I know him. Work with him too. What about him?" Dee took a huge bite of steak. "Umm, this is good!" as usual, he talked with his mouth full.  
  
"He's a dirty fag you know." Dee nearly spit out the meat that he had claimed was so good. I pounded on his back a few times until he stopped choking on what he was about to swallow.  
  
"I know, rather hard to miss. That might be a rather rough way of putting it though." It was rare for him to stick up for JJ, but this time he would defend him to the end.  
  
I calmed myself down as best I could. He probably didn't even know JJ personally. No, that would mean that he was homophobic. There must be another explanation. Maybe he hated JJ and just saw this as an excuse to hate him more. I admit to using that once. A real disgusting high school boy was hitting on a one of the nicest boys in the school, and not in a nice way. I had hated the social misfit for the past year and a half. The idea that he would harass the sweet kind boy like that made me hate him more. (ahem, author's personal experience)  
  
The rest of dinner went well. Desert, which we always had whenever company came over, was wonderful. As soon as we could get away, I dragged Dee upstairs.  
  
It was Dee who broke the tension, which you could not cut with a knife for fear breaking the knife or getting it stuck. "At least now we know his stance on gays"  
  
"Dee, I'm really worried. I don't want to stay here anymore." I allowed him to hug me. The door was closed and Aunt Elena and Uncle Rick almost always knocked. I needed the comfort.  
  
"He probably just hates JJ, I can understand the feeling." He rolled his eyes and kissed my cheek. "I don't think that there should be anything to worry about. Just swear that if anything happens, you will come to me."  
  
"I don't think that he is going to hit me if that is what you mean. He has always been calm." I smiled some and began pulling my clothes out of my bag. "Now come on, we have to get some sleep." His arms fell to his side and he began to reach into his duffle bag. We were settling into my bed when I remembered the conversation that I had overheard. "Dee, I think that there is something that I have to tell you. I over heard them talking and I think that they might suspect something."  
  
"Tell me what you overheard" one of Dee's hands cupped my face as I told him what I heard from the conversation that I had listened in on.  
  
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Well, what do you think? Be honest here! You all want to read great FAKE fics, right? Right! And the only way to get better ones is to tell the truth (which I always do so if you get praise from me, you earned it. And if you get advice, I am only trying to help)  
  
INCENTIVE TO REVIEW: almost every time I get a signed review, I go and see what that person has written. You review my story, I will probably read yours, if they are written about something that I have read/watched.  
  
I also take requests! If you want me to read something that you write, ask me! I will normally talk to people and will always read email if they have the word "fanfiction" in the title. If you are every trying to reach me via IM and I ignore you, I am sorry, I actually get spam via IM and it drives me nuts! If I do that, email me and tell me how much of an idiot I am and I will send you an IM. I have done this to someone and I felt really bad about it! I would have felt even worse if I didn't find out about it and talk to her right away. (they got their friend to yell at me about it, thank you to the friend too, you seem like a very nice person) that is why I want the email telling me how stupid I am for ignoring someone! 


	3. Chapter Three

Hmm, looking over this chapter, I realize that it does not have much importance to the plot. Oh well, I like it and it gives people a chance to think of Ryo wearing a bathing suit!  
  
Well, there is some point, but it isn't until the very very end. Maybe the last sentence. That is how long it could be, one sentence long! But I know that you would prefer a longer chapter, right? Oh, I also put in a little part to make it important!  
  
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My eyes cracked open, greeted by the harsh morning sun. I closed them and snuggled deeper into the pillow, hair falling down in my face as I did. The warm arms that wound around my body tightened in response. My eyes bolted back open. Dee was supposed to be behaving himself. How would it look if Aunt Elena walked in right now?  
  
"Dee!" I jabbed him hard in the ribs. He protested some before falling back into a deep sleep. "Get up and get off of me."  
  
I must have sounded fierce because he did just that. At first his eyes fluttered open, ever so slightly, and then opened themselves fully. "Hey lovely." A chuckle raced through his body causing the bed to shake some. "I could get used to waking up to this. Maybe now I wont have to sleep on the couch so much."  
  
Shattering the serine moment, footsteps sounded outside of my door. Someone was coming up the stairs to wake us up. "Dee, roll over and pretend to be asleep" I hissed in his ear. He needed to listen to me just once.  
  
"Good morning!" Aunt Elena's cheery voice called as she swung open the door to my room. Dee had just rolled over. She couldn't have seen anything. I made sure that I muttered and grumbled before dragging myself out of bed. It had to appear natural. "Come on, both of you, get up! We are all going to the beach after breakfast. It is a half an hour drive from here."  
  
Dee, who was now awake, shot up in bed. "Beach? Meaning people in bathing suits? Girls in bikinis? I'm there!" I didn't know if I should be happy that he was throwing Aunt Elena off of our trail or be angry that he would think of such things when I was right next to him.  
  
Dee got ready faster than he ever had before, including a time when we were two hours late for work because he had stayed out late and I was up worrying about him. It wouldn't have been anything major any other time but we had been working on a case where someone vowed to get revenge for what the cops had done to his brother. Dee was a target. When he didn't come right home, well, I think I lost about three years off of my life because of how worried I was. Loser that he was, he had been out with Drake at a bar.  
  
We had breakfast and then went up to my room to change. Dee would go into the adjoining bathroom and I would change in my room. Before I allowed him to go in there I had a talk with him.  
  
"I don't want to be rude but.." Before I could finish, he cut me off.  
  
"I know, don't drool all over you when you have your shirt off and you are wearing only those small shorts with your legs showing, and I know that with one fatal wave those shorts could be history." Drool began to flow down his face. I pointed it out to him and he cleaned it up. "Don't worry so much, I wont drool all over you in public if you give me a chance to in private." He strode over to me, long legs guiding effortlessly over the plush carpet. He ran his fingers threw my hair before landing his hand on my face. "Ryo babe, I know what I am doing here. I swear to god himself that no one will have any clue that I am the least bit in love with you."  
  
I shooed him into the bathroom and began to change. I had a feeling that he was spying on me but I let it slide. Knowing him, it was nothing that he hadn't seen before. When he came out he looked me over once or twice before walking up to me.  
  
He put his hand on my shoulder, sliding it down onto my back. "You should go shirtless more often, you know that?" I laughed it off as one of his jokes. "I'm serious! You should." He tilted my face up until I looked into his eyes. His entire face smiled whenever he looked at me. Now he was glowing. "You look good without it."  
  
He bent over and laid a kiss on my lips, perfectly timed. All of the resistance that I had build up fell away. Right then, I wanted him more than ever before, so much that it hurt. I forced my thoughts on less wonderful subjects, such as how my aunt and uncle might react if they came in to find us in bed together, which if he didn't back away soon might happen.  
  
"What ever happened to behaving yourself?" I asked him, trying very hard not to look into those lushes green eyes. If I did, I could never look away.  
  
"Come on, we are going to be late!" Aunt Elena called from downstairs. It broke me from my trance long enough to get to the door. I turned to Dee one last time before heading out of the room, calling over my shoulder for him to follow.  
  
The salty air teased our senses before we could even see the beach. Sand blew across the roads, creeping onto the edges with only a few grains ever making it any farther. On the high dunes the dune grass waved in the wind, calling for us to hurry to the water.  
  
The water was cold, not clear, but it was still cold. Aunt Elena and Uncle Rick ran down like small children. Dee and I stayed out of the water for a little bit. I still had to put on my sunscreen. I did what I could myself, slowly though because there was sand that had gotten into it from the last trip. Each and every rub hurt more than the last. Sunburn couldn't hurt much more than this and had to be better for the skin.  
  
"Dee, could you take care of my back?" I offered the bottle to him and he snatched it away with a wide smile. I warned him about his promise and he nodded. The cool lotion squirted onto my back and I jumped with surprise. Soon Dee's hands began to caress every surface that the painful lotion had reached. It didn't hurt much when he did it compared to when I did.  
  
"Your turn" I reminded him. He let out a sigh and began rubbing it into his arms, legs, and the top of his feet.  
  
"Nasty sunburns there." He reminded me. I had forgotten but I fixed it as soon as he mentioned my mistake. With a glint in his eye meant for only me to see, he handed the bottle back and turned around.  
  
"I'm not that good, this might hurt." I gave him a fair warning and gathered some of the lotion in my hands. He bit back a moan of pleasure as my hands worked it into his skin. "It is almost embarrassing that you get this worked up over putting sunscreen on."  
  
"Only when it is you doing it, Ryo. Now come on, lets get into the water." Dee took off towards the water at a gallop. "Bet that I could get there before you!" he called back even though he was already half way there and I was still trying to put the sunscreen in the bag to keep it from getting any more sand in it. It was a lost cause, but I was still fighting for it. My skin was as well.  
  
Dee stopped near the edge of the water and waited for me. Together, we waded in. When I wave knocked me back into him, his strong arms protected me. I stole a glance into his eyes. He wasn't looking at me, but off into the distance. I followed his gaze. He was watching Aunt Elena and Uncle Rick. They were watching back. Dee steadied me and acted as though nothing had happened. His act was flawless.  
  
I noticed that his eyes would wander to the beach, looking for girls it would seem, but I knew better. He wouldn't do that to me, it was just part of his act. It seemed to fool my aunt, but Uncle Rick did not seem to be swayed. He kept looking over at Dee with a dark gaze. Something about it left me unsettled.  
  
At about noon Dee came up to me. "Hey, I'd say that it is lunch time. What do you say we go get the subs?" A look in his eye told me that he could care less about food right now. I agreed and we hurried off of the beach.  
  
"What did you want to talk about?" I asked as he shut the car door, making a small metallic clang as it latched.  
  
"They suspect us, I don't know how we gave it away. Sorry." Dee buried his head in his hands. He had been trying as hard as he could, I could see it. I put my arms around him, trying to comfort him as much as I could.  
  
"It is nothing that you did wrong. If anything, I was too eager to help you with your lotion and I stayed in your arms too long after getting knocked over by the wave." Nothing that small could have made them think that, but I couldn't allow him to blame himself like that.  
  
"Your uncle wasn't watching you, Ryo. He was watching me. Come on, lets just go get the subs." We drove our there in silence and bought the subs.  
  
On the way home Dee pulled over. "I have to stop for a second." Dee stood up and walked around the side of the car. I watched him worriedly. Something bigger was on his mind than I had thought. After waiting a minute I got out of the car. He looked over at me as I stepped out. "You don't think that it is wrong? Do you?" His eyes were filled with worry.  
  
"No Dee, it isn't wrong at all. You know that." Our positions seemed to be reversed. He had always comforted me, telling me that this was just as right as a normal relationship. "Don't start doubting it, if you do then what we have will fall apart. I need you, but I cant do what you did for me. I cant convince you that it is right. I suppose that it is something that you have to decide for yourself. If it feels right, go for it, no matter what other people think."  
  
Dee, who had been turned away from me the entire time, looked over his shoulder at me. The sunlight hit his hair just right and the shine created a halo around his head. "I thought that I knew what to think, but I'm not sure anymore."  
  
"Don't even talk like that!" I spun him around and looked him in the eye. "You know that there is nothing wrong with it! Anyone who thinks that is blind to the world around them. They have to open their eyes. Don't walk around with your eyes closed. You will walk into a wall, just like I did. You were the one who made me open mine, I had to see this wall for myself."  
  
"I needed to hear you say that Ryo." Dee wrapped one hand around my arm. "We had better get back to the beach before they suspect something."  
  
I nodded in agreement even though they already did have suspicions. As he closed his door I leaned over and kissed him. I couldn't just say that it was right, I had to prove it to him. "I love you"  
  
Aunt Elena and Uncle Rick were waiting on the blanket when we got back to the beach. I explained that subway was busy. The seemed to believe it. We stayed at the beach the rest of the day. Dee was careful not to give anything away, slipping up only once. When he was helping me up after getting knocked down by a wave he snagged a quick feel. We were in the water still, the wave had broken early, so Aunt Elena and Uncle Rick didn't see anything.  
  
That night after dinner, Dee and I went up into my room. He said that he wanted to talk to me during the car ride home. This was our first opportunity. He closed the door behind us and advanced on me. "What you said, you have no idea how much I needed to hear it. I was beginning to think that I was the only one who didn't believe that it was wrong. I cant believe that I was stupid enough to think that you still thought that it was a sin."  
  
He laughed and a stupid grin was slapped on his face. Sighing, he sat down on the bed that we had been sharing. "I never gave you any reason to think that I didn't. I still keep pushing you off, saying that I don't want anyone to know. It's my fault."  
  
Dee opened his mouth but I had a better idea for it than talking. His eyes widened before closing. At the end of the kiss, he tried to talk. This time I let him. "Ryo, this is a surprise! Two kisses in one day! Could it be that you have given in to your hormones?"  
  
I blushed deeply and nodded. He pulled me closer to him and let me do as I wished. I forced myself to behave, still fearing that someone would walk in on us. Fears soon fled as he deepened the kisses. Everything around is faded away. This was how love was supposed to feel. Shame and embarrassment were not part of it, just the feeling of Dee's arms around my waist.  
  
We were so caught up in each other that we didn't hear the footsteps on the stairs. The door swung open, hinges creaking. Uncle Rick looked on as his beloved nephew received one of the most passionate kisses he had dreamed of. We were snapped out of our dream world by the slamming of the door.  
  
"Shit!" Dee yelled.  
  
"Dee?" I shook and shivered. Without his arms keeping me sitting upright, I know that I would have collapsed. Tears sprung out of my eyes, my worst fear had come true. Nightmares that had haunted my sleep for weeks were walking around in the waking world, they knew.  
  
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nothing to say this time, just review to get the next chapter up faster. 


	4. Chapter Four

Storm Elf would like to apologies. My computer is down in a big way. The cord for my laptop broke and I have to come up with 78 bucks to get a new one and I can't get a job until AFTER the musical. My mom is willing to pay for half of it so it shouldn't be too long. Until then, expect updates to be few and far between because I have to get the files off of my laptop and I don't like turning it on and zapping up my batteries.  
  
Thanks for being understanding  
  
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We waited together, worried about what would happen. Heavy footfalls came up the stairs. The door swung open slower than it had before. Uncle Rick stuck his head in. "Desert is on the table." Unsuppressed anger rang in his voice. He was attempting to act normal but he was not the actor that Dee was.  
  
"Don't worry love, I will be there. They cant hurt you." Dee's fingers landed on my arm. He knew how hard this was and I knew that he could see that I was still shaking. Facing strangers was hard but this was beyond hard. These were the people that I had sought to please even before they took me into their house, which was in fact my parent's house because theirs had been too small.  
  
Desert was eaten in silence. Aunt Elena tried to make conversation but soon surrendered to the hush that had fallen over us. I thanked them for the cake, saying that it must have taken her forever to make it so good.  
  
It had surprised me when they didn't say a word about what Uncle Rick had seen. It was clear that he had told Aunt Elena or she wouldn't have looked so uncomfortable. Dee and I tried to leave the table but we were stopped. Tension hung in the air as Uncle Rick spoke. "Dee, you head on up, I haven't gotten a chance to talk to Ryo yet during this visit. I want to correct that."  
  
Dee shot me a look saying that he wanted to stay but knew he would have to leave. My protection was gone, my moral support had abandoned me. Now I was alone. I would have to fight for my love without any help. It was time for me to prove that I cared for him. This was the decisive battle in the stories of old. The hero lost those who he counted on to protect him, he was left to battle the evil forces all by himself. His love was in danger and he could only save it by coming through victorious. I could only hope that this would have just as much of a fairy tale ending.  
  
"Ryo, don't bother saying anything right now." Uncle Rick stood up and rubbed his temples as he paced around the room, thinking of what to say. "How could you? You know better than that. You dare to disgrace us with this? I thought that you actually cared about us!"  
  
"Uncle, I do care, just because I love Dee doesn't mean that I hate you!"  
  
"Yes it does! If you cared at all about either of us then you wouldn't have lowered yourself to his level. And then, to invite him here. You have a lot of nerve Ryo, and I don't like it." He was leaning over me, face inches to mine and teeth bared. "and to think, I thought that you were a decent person."  
  
"I am a decent person, I'm just a decent person who has fallen in love. I'm happier like this." I tried to sound confident but I knew that I wasn't convincing anyone. I had always tried to please them, now it seemed like I had done something just to make them mad.  
  
"How could any fag be a decent person? I thought that your parents had taught you better than that. Fortunately, there is still time to fix this, or at least there had better be. If you lost your virginity to that...that...man, I swear that you will wish that you had never met him."  
  
"No, I didn't, really. I haven't done it with him, or anyone else for that matter." I swallowed hard as he stood up. The chair creaked as he lifted his arm off of it and sat down in his own.  
  
"Good, then there is still time. I want you to forget about him right now. Leave him for the trash that he is. You might already have been tainted, but at least you weren't ruined. There is still hope that this can be forgotten about." His indifference to my heart, my love, and to me in general was almost more than I could bare. He didn't care about me, just the family name.  
  
"No! I couldn't just forget about him. I don't even want to think about it." My eyes darted from my uncle to my aunt. Maybe she would forgive me even if he wouldn't. She was understanding and sympathetic. She was also a hopeless romantic. She looked down at the floor, avoiding my gaze. Even she was ashamed of me.  
  
"You think that you are in love but it isn't anything but evil! He has gotten into your mind, changed you. You stay with him and you are bound to end up dead. He will take what he wants from you body and then leave you. Even worse, you might not fill his desires, as can be expected with gays, they are all so horny that it takes at least two people to satisfy them, if that few. He will take others behind your back. By the time that you find out about it, it will be too late. You will be in a hospital slowly dieing of aids. Is that what you want?"  
  
I looked at the floor. I couldn't bring myself to look at either of them. That wasn't going to happen, Dee would never do something like that to me. He cared to much. I could never convey to them what I thought of him but I had to try something. I opened my mouth to speak but Uncle Rick stopped me.  
  
"That scum isn't any better than the rest of them! You are nothing more than a whore to him. He could care less what happens to you. The only thing that he cares about is satisfying his sick lust." I fought tears my away. That was what I had thought when he first began hitting on me. Now I knew that if it were true he would have given up.  
  
"Uncle, he isn't going to do that, he loves me even if you cant see it. I fended off his advances for a long time because I thought that he only wanted me to go to bed with him. Now that I have spent more time with him, I know that he loves me, not just by body."  
  
"Bull shit Ryo!" Uncle Rick stood up from his chair again, knocking it over in the process. "That kind of love is imposable. No man could love another man, they are just good at tricking someone into thinking that. Don't be an idiot! Nothing that wrong could be true! Men were not created to love other men, any that say that they do are lying or delusional."  
  
"Your wrong!" My voice tore out of my throat. He needed to listen to me. If he didn't then there was no hope of ever getting him to accept me again.  
  
All of his bottled up rage escaped him for a moment. He raised his hand up and brought it down on my face. I couldn't do anything except look up at him stunned. He had hit me. The uncle that had protected me from bullies at school had just slapped me. I could only stare in disbelief.  
  
"Look faggot! We are only trying to help, but I see that like the rest of your kind, you are too stupid and stubborn to listen. You just assume that we are the ones with the problems, not you because you are too perfect. All that you care about is yourself! If you gave a damn about that mutt of a son you adopted then you would push Dee away for his sake. Instead, you decide to ignore him. No child should have to grow up in such a home. Why wont you open your eyes and look around? Maybe you might see that you aren't the only one in the world and you wont be so selfish next time!" He stormed out of the room, shoes making loud slams on the linoleum floor of the kitchen.  
  
Was he right? Was I too selfish to see that I was hurting people around me? No, it couldn't be. Bikky was slowly growing to accept Dee and realize that he wasn't going to leave me. I couldn't be hurting JJ more than he deserved. If anyone was doing that then it would be Dee.  
  
Aunt Elena looked at me for the first time after finding out. "Why Ryo, why couldn't you have told us. I trusted you." She stood up and walked out of the room. Unlike my uncle, her eyebrows were not furrowed with anger. She was just disappointed in me, I didn't know which hurt worse.  
  
I wanted to run up to Dee, tell him what had happened and feel his arms around me. I couldn't do that. I couldn't let him see the tears that were working their way out of my eyes. My small frame shook with sobs. I needed him but I couldn't show him how weak I was right now. I had to be strong for him.  
  
How could I have been so stupid to believe that they would welcome me with open arms. I was too different. If I had taken my time I might have been able to tell them about it, maybe then they might have understood. Instead, I let them know in the worst way. If I possibly could have found a way to shock them more, I didn't know what it was. How could I expect them to think that he meant any more to me than a good time when that was all that they saw. The stereotypes ran too deep, the stories were too heart wrenching.  
  
I sat down there for an hour, my tears slowed and then stopped, I had run out of them. Emotionally exhausted, I buried my face in my hands. I didn't want anyone to see me like this. The imprint of his hand was still visible on my cheek and it was beginning to bruise.  
  
I heard a knock on the door. I didn't answer but it squeaked open. I braced myself for my uncle's torments again but nothing came. A hand rested on my shoulder. I looked up into Dee's emerald eyes. They were damp as though he was holding back tears  
  
"When you didn't come back upstairs I got worried." He explained, his tone gentle. He shifted around to hug me. "Ryo, tell me what happened."  
  
"Nothing, it isn't important." I had to fight this battle for myself. If Dee helped, then I wouldn't feel like I had confronted it. I would just be hiding from it like I had before. Dee had shoved me from the hiding spot, now I had to work to keep myself out of it. Planning on telling him this, I made the mistake of looking up. His eyes landed on my still burning cheek.  
  
"That dirty bastard hit you!" Dee stood up and paced around for a moment to work out his anger. I begged him not to hurt him. He said that he wouldn't but I had heard that one before. He headed out of the door, slamming it as he went. From where I sat I could hear him out there, fighting my battle for me.  
  
"He deserved what he got! It is the only way that he will learn"  
  
"Learn what? To be as much of a stuck up jerk as you?" Dee's usual comforting voice was gone. I had only heard him sound like this twice. Both times he nearly killed a man. "Just because you wont open your eyes and see that he is in love doesn't mean that he has to live in darkness with you."  
  
"You are just as sick as the rest of them Dee. Go get your stuff and bring them down here. You are sleeping on the couch, not with Ryo. He deserves better than you"  
  
I didn't hear Dee say anything else. He must have gone upstairs. I stood on unsteady legs and walked out of the dining room. Uncle Rick kept his disapproving gaze on me as I crossed the living room and headed upstairs. "Ryo," he called after me "you keep away from him."  
  
His voice had lost the rage that it had held before, but it still retained the hatred that I had feared. He knew very well that I didn't plan on listening to him, but still thought that it was important to warn me.  
  
"Dee!" I threw the door open and ran inside my room. "Don't sleep downstairs tonight, I need you." I looked down at the floor, embarrassed by what I was about to say. "I'm scared of him. I don't want to know what might happen if he comes into my room tonight. Even worse, if he hurts you."  
  
"I can take care of myself Ryo. Just worry about yourself. I don't think that he would hurt you, but lock your door anyway. It is better to be safe than sorry."  
  
Dee sauntered out of my room and I locked the door. I didn't even want to think of what dangers he might be facing. My uncle was a strong man. Dee could defend himself in hand to hand combat but Uncle Rick might be armed. It didn't even have to be with a gun. He could be deadly with a bat. When I was younger he beat off a would be mugger with a just a stick that was laying alongside a tree. He had taken karate, there was no doubt about that. The belts were displayed on the wall next to the trophies. He never made it up to black belt but he could have if he hadn't moved before taking the test.  
  
I laid in my bed, tossing and turning. I couldn't get my mind off of Dee. I didn't know how he was. Uncle Rick could have hurt him, he could be in pain and I was just cuddled up in my bed. Dee was strong but no one was perfect. I stayed there for as long as I could before decided that I could never rest if I didn't have him close. I grabbed my pillow and my blanket in one hand and took my flashlight in the other. I opened my door and walked out, making little or no sound. Being a police officer helps with learning to walk without making noise, if only by just offering up time to practice.  
  
I laid my blanket out next to the couch. Before going to sleep I made sure that Dee was still whole. Satisfied with my answer, I snuggled into the blanket. My dreams were naught but nightmares, being hunted down by people that I loved. The last nightmare that I had was the worst. I dreamt of Dee's funeral. He had been murdered by my uncle but they blamed me for it. They said that it was my fault because I wouldn't listen to them. After that one I couldn't stand it any more.  
  
I sat up and started shaking Dee's arm until he opened his eyes. He rubbed them before sitting up. Taking advantage of the new space made on the couch, I scooted up there. "Ryo, babe, what's wrong? You are supposed to be upstairs sound asleep in your bed. Why are you down here?" I could tell that he was angry with me for coming down but he was more worried than anything else.  
  
"I had nightmares, I got scared." I looked up into his eyes with a face that just screamed 'hold me, I need you, I love you!' he did just that. My head rested on my shoulder as I told him what had happened. He kissed the back of my head and whispered in my ear.  
  
"That will never happen, I will make sure of it. It would take more than that to kill me. I have luck on my side, plus I have nine lives, or so it seems." I worried that he was going to send me back up to my room. I could never sleep in such a large bed by myself anymore. I needed Dee there with me.  
  
To my surprise, he didn't ask me to leave. Instead, he held me close until we drifted off to sleep. This time, the nightmares didn't come. I was safe in Dee's arms. He loved me and no one, no thing, no way, no how, could change that.  
  
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ah, wasn't the ending sweet? I thought so. Review for a faster update, well, as fast as you can get it. (oh, and remember to be honest!) 


	5. Chapter Five

Storm Elf apologizes for not updating sooner. She got her cord yesterday but did not update because she is a lousy bum. She didn't updated until late today because she has allergies and spent most of her time watching Pirates of the Caribbean and lounging because she feels like crap when her allergies attack. She still feels like crap but knows that she MUST update before people get really pissed at her. Also, being sick promotes talking in third person for some reason, go figure.  
  
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The sun flicked my eyes as they opened. It had only peeked into the window, but it was enough to raise me from my sleep. Dee's arms still held me close. I could have stayed like that forever but I understood what it would mean if my uncle saw me like this. Getting off of the couch, I reached for my blanket and pillow. No one else in the house was awake yet. This would be the prime opportunity to sneak into my bed unnoticed.  
  
The only sounds of me walking were soft taps on the carpeted stairs. I avoided the three that I knew squeaked and escaped without incident. I reached the top of the stairs and turned to head into my room when I spun I was suddenly face to face with Aunt Elena.  
  
"Ryo, come with me." She turned and headed into my room, still wrapped up in her sea green robe and with the two pink curlers in her hair that gave her bangs curls. She sat down on my bed and patted the area next to it. Small streams of dust flew out of the fabric. It had received little use since I moved out. "I don't want any more lies, tell me the truth, all of it."  
  
I looked into her eyes and swallowed hard, it would not be as easy as it sounded. I started off with how I had met him. I didn't leave out anything even if it would make her think less of me. "and then about two months ago he began almost living with me. He has his own apartment but I don't think that he has seen the inside of it for a month."  
  
"Ryo, do you honestly expect us to believe that you have slept with that man but didn't do anything?" Her cross tone made me back up, which is not easy on a bed. "I want the truth, not what would sound good to your uncle."  
  
"It is the truth! He is supposed to sleep on the couch. The only times that I let him sleep with me is when there are storms, you know that they scare me." It was as close to the truth as I was going to go. I had not slept with him in the sense that she was accusing me of, but I had not told her everything. Even Dee deserved to have some secrets. Many times after he thought that I was asleep he would come into bed with me. Sometimes he did this when I was still awake, other times when I was asleep, and some times when he woke me up. I had never complained about it though, he knew that he was welcome. "Police life is stressful, I don't know if I would even have the energy some nights, plus with Bikky being not too far away, it will be a very long time until then."  
  
"So you plan to then?" Aunt Elena had never believed in beating around the bush. She would get right to the point unless she was trying to hide something, in which case it was imposable to figure out what it was.  
  
"I'm not planning on it now, but it is going to come to that." I hated lying to her, I always felt like she could see right through it and many times I was right. I had already promised Dee a reward if he pulled the act off, I just didn't want to tell my aunt that I planned on using the time that Bikky was still at Carol's for anything less wholesome than what she would expect of me.  
  
"I told you not to lie! Cant you even do that? I don't know what you are hiding from me, but I can see in your eyes that this isn't true. Never mind, if you cant tell me the truth then I don't want to talk to you anymore." Aunt Elena stood up and walked out of the room, not looking back before shutting the door.  
  
I waited an hour in my room before heading downstairs. Dee was standing at the bottom, looking like he had something to say. He ran his fingers through his hair and pulled me off to the living room.  
  
"Some people came by, sounds like they were friends of yours. Your dearest uncle told them about me and not in the nicest of ways. I was lying on the couch pretending to be asleep when he door bell rang. Rick opened it up and they asked for you, calling you Randy though. First he told them that you were a, and I quote 'dirty faggot just like that one over there.' I assume that he was pointing over at me. They argued with him, saying that it wasn't true. He told them what he saw, using disgusting details too. He elaborated enough to turn one of them green. Even I felt grossed out by how he was putting it. I think that your trip out with your friends has been canceled."  
  
My body froze. I could deal with my aunt and uncle's rejection, I could deal with my friend's rejection, but not both at once. Dee put his arm around me and pulled me close. "I know that it is hard babe, but don't give up, everything will work out."  
  
How could it work out? My family hated me, my friends hated me, everyone did. Dee seemed to understand what I was thinking. He pulled me onto his lap and held me. He didn't push for anything more of me, he just put his arms around me and reassured me.  
  
"Hey, gay boys!" My uncle called from the kitchen. "Get the hell off of each other and get your sorry rainbow asses in here to eat what Elena took her good time to make for you!" It was clear that he still hated me for what I had done. He wasn't missing an opportunity to rub it in my face like I was a dog who had soiled the carpet. Dee glared in his direction, eyes narrowing into tiny slits.  
  
"I'm not coming until you apologize to Ryo. I don't care what you say about me, but he still gives a damn about your opinion!" Dee rubbed my arms slowly, thinking as he did. He had something to say, I simply had to wait until he found the words. "Ryo, I know that you cant follow this advice, but don't let what he said get to you. Ignore him and enjoy your breakfast."  
  
I wanted to stay with him, but he pushed me away, telling me to go eat. This time when I walked through the kitchen I did not see the perfect appliances or floor. I saw lies. Nothing could be perfect. Anyone that believed that they could be perfect, or appear to be, was hiding behind something. I stopped and looked down at the floor. There was a small puddle of water the size of a penny, it wasn't perfect at all.  
  
I bowed my head and entered the room. A floor board creaked, shattering the silence that had fallen over the room. The quiet having already been broken, my uncle snorted. "Cant you even walk right anymore?"  
  
"You want us to go home, don't you?" I looked into his eyes. Behind them burned the blackest of hates. The flames were visible, they danced dangerously close to the surface, waiting for the chance to burn anyone who tempted them. "Is that what you want?"  
  
"No, you are staying here. Your faggot friend can leave any time he wants, but you are staying." He picked at his eggs with his fork. He thrust it in for the killing blow, knocking a few eggs from his plate.  
  
"Uncle, please don't call him that." I pleaded with him, though I knew the answer. Nothing could appease him any more, not even begging.  
  
"I will call him whatever the hell I want and you will be happy with it!" He took a long sip of his coffee. I river of dark brown liquid ran down his face and dripped onto his murdered eggs.  
  
"I don't have to do anything that you tell me to. I don't have to stay here, and I don't have to listen to you call the man that I love degrading names. I am not some child that you can boss around anymore! I am an adult, capable of making my own decisions. I want to make you happy, but I'm not sacrificing my love for you. Dee is mine and I wouldn't give him up for the world so fuck off!" Threats of tears stung my eyes like a slap in the face. This was the kind man who had carried me around the county fair for an entire day after I scrapped me knee. He held me on his lap during countless thunderstorms when I stayed at his house. All of that was lost now. There was no turning back after what I had said. Suppressing all of the anger that I could, I turned to my aunt. "Thank you for the meal Aunt Elena, but I think that I am going to go out with my boyfriend for breakfast."  
  
I turned and left the room. There was nothing more to say. I had burnt all of my bridges and there was no use in staying there and watch the ashes smolder. Dee was looking in the kitchen. He had faithfully remained on the couch. I went over and stood in front of him. He stood up and rested his hands around my waist.  
  
"Glad to hear that you are finally standing up for yourself, it took you long enough." He understood just how worried I was. He could see my body shiver with fear, a blind man could see it.  
  
"Want to go out for breakfast? I know this really nice place, it isn't that far from here. I know the owners" Behind me I could hear footsteps. They were watching us and they knew the restaurant that I was talking about, that was why I had picked it. I shot them a glare and put my arm around Dee's waist as though I was not ready to collapse any moment out of fear. My fight or flight response had been working double overtime for the past few days and I was running out of energy.  
  
Dee and I strode out the door, arms still around each other. Right then, I didn't care who saw. I mentally dared anyone to say a word. I had to prove to myself that I could stand up to them. If I could do that, maybe I could stand up to my aunt and uncle.  
  
In my aunt's car I let out a breath that I didn't know I had been holding. Dee took my hand in his and rubbed it, reassuring me that everything would be alright, we could get over anything together. I knew that it wasn't true. In the office people always warned Dee to be careful. Cases of murders and hate crimes were everywhere.  
  
"Alright, which way to the restaurant?" Dee began pulling out of the driveway. I began listing off the directions for him.  
  
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ah, wasn't that cute! Little Ryo got all pissed again! There is a point to the whole restaurant thing, just review and find out what it is!  
  
Oh, and again I apologize for taking so long but most of it was because of the cord! Just got it yesterday, I am very happy because now I have my beloved laptop back! 


	6. Chapter Six

REASON THEY HAVE NOT LEFT YET: Ryo really shouldn't just take him Aunt's car and drive off with it and leave it at the airport. The reason that they can drive to go out to eat is because there is a return trip planned.  
  
I love my readers, I really do! But this cliffy was such a good one, I had to use it!  
  
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Dee closed the car door and looked over the restaurant. It was rather old. My parents were good friends with the grandchildren on the original owners. It had stayed in their family and was now being run by the great grandchildren. The gravel parking lot had not changed and it was still the biggest meeting for the drug-ys, who are little more than light alcoholics in this town. The last interesting thing that happened here was before it was even founded.  
  
My parents death had sent ripples through this town. Here, everyone knew everyone, and family secrets were closely guarded. No one could ever talk about how Mary's aunt got a divorce, it was a family secret. If there were ever a more conservative town, I am yet to find it. Here the police's biggest case is when the McDugal's cat runs away.  
  
I was already receiving glares of hate as I walked through the door with Dee. The little bell on it run and the room became silent. I intertwined my fingers with Dee's and waited for service. A waitress walked over to us without a word and led us to our table. I thanked her and took a seat. Some people, after seeing that we did not plan on leaving, stood up and walked out of the restaurant. Bobby, who had had his morning coffee here every day since I started kindergarten, walked off without finishing his drink. I was more than they could handle.  
  
I took a deep breath and looked at Dee. He watched the room behind me and chuckled "You should see some of their faces. This one person looks like a grape that got left out in the sun too long but isn't a raisin yet." I smiled as well and kept my eyes on Dee.  
  
Verdant orbs watched my every move. Dee suddenly looked up. The waitress, an old friend of mine named Tiffany, Tiff for short, was back for our orders. "I'll have the waffles, and could I please have tea instead of coffee?"  
  
The waitress rolled her eyes and jotted it down. Dee placed his order, eggs and bacon with extra bacon. "You know, you would be so much prettier if your attitude matched your body." Dee went back to what he was doing after his snide remark.  
  
She sighed and walked off. Halfway to giving our orders to the kitchen, she was stopped by a man in a gray coat with a stiff brown hat. It was Mr. Jenkens, the old man who lived on High St. in a small house. They talked for ages, Tiff not being able to hide her outgoing attitude for any longer. She had always been able to talk and talk, which is why her silent treatment surprised me.  
  
"Don't think about it Ryo. Now that you have started you cant give up." Dee took my hand in his and leaned closer. "If you walk out of those doors, you are telling them that they have won, you now think that it is wrong to follow your heart. The Ryo that I know loves me. Please tell me that you didn't shove him in a ditch on the way over here."  
  
I had to laugh. Dee's eyes held more happiness than ever and I could understand why. He saw that I was willing to put up with other people knowing about our love and rejecting it. I was no longer the timid little Ryo who turned tail and ran whenever I might step out of the social norm. It was I a fear that I had carried with me from growing up in a small town where people were ostracized for their second-cousin-twice-removed's bad behavior.  
  
"Dee, I'm really sorry about everything that Uncle Rick said." I tried to start up a conversation. The glares were stand-able, but the silence was killing me.  
  
"Don't be, babe. You aren't responsible for his behavior, and if I were you, I wouldn't be worried about his behavior as much as what you said." His face formed into a smile, right up to his eyes. "You just told your uncle to fuck off! Now if I'm not rubbing off in you then I don't know what that was! No, I know what it was, a classic Ryo outburst."  
  
I felt my cheeks getting hot. His hand reached up and touched my face calmly and made me look up. He leaned in close and gave me a quick kiss. My jaw dropped some and I was ready to hit him. He knew that I wasn't ready to do that in front of people who had known me before I was out of diapers!  
  
He smirked as he pulled away. All eyes were fixed on us now. My breath caught in my throat. Something like this was inexcusable. My mouth tried to form words but instead I caught myself leaning in and kissing him. I caught his lower lip between mine and made use of it. Some people looked away, others muttered about what the world was coming to today.  
  
I was shocked with myself, not knowing what caused me to act like that. Dee ran his fingers through my hair and caressed my cheek. "See Ryo, that wasn't too bad, now was it?" He saw my eyes dart from his and around the room. "Don't look at them. Ignore them right now. Until I say otherwise, it is only you, me, and food that is floating towards us because there are no other people here."  
  
The slamming of plates stopped his methodical voice. Left unchecked, I could listen to it for hours on end. It didn't matter what he said, only that it was him saying it. Although his hand had dropped from my face, it still made its self useful. He rubbed my hand as I did ate the most difficult meal I had ever had.  
  
The restaurant was known for having some of the best tasting food around and I had been there enough to know that they deserved it. This time, however, everything tasted worse than mud. Dee's eggs, which he specifically asked for them fully cooked, were runny and his bacon was replaced with the extra charcoal delight. My waffles were deformed. One of them was lukewarm and the other was ice cold. My tea could not steep because it was not hot enough. They just turned on the hot tap water instead of boiling it.  
  
I was ready to keep my mouth shut about it. We had done wrong in their eyes and this was our punishment. Dee's mind was different. He called the waitress back and demanded to know what was going on. "Ryo said that the food here was good! If you feed this kind of food to everyone here I don't know how they could get through the day without keeling over from food poisoning. Ryo and I want a decent meal, not this shit."  
  
"You will take what you get and be happy with it, got it queer?" Mr. Jenkens grumbled before turning back to his paper and coffee. Several diners nodded or agreed in some way. The dull roar that ran around died quickly. It was me against them. They could care less about Dee, he was only a gay from New York, what trouble could he cause other than corrupting me? I, on the other hand, was raised right here alongside their children. As far as they were concerned, I was a black spot on their town's record. No matter how far back in history, there were only two open gays in this town and they were both my age and were now dead. One was killed and the other committed suicide afterward.  
  
There were others, but no one had the courage that it took to stay here. Other than those two boys, everyone else ran away from this town and was soon forgotten about. Now I was here, I wasn't leaving, and I had brought Dee with me. I was a disgrace to the town.  
  
"No! I will get decent food like the rest of you." Dee stood up and looked Mr. Jenkens in the eye. Many people were frightened by the strange old man. Growing up in the slums taught Dee not to fear someone, at least not on the outside.  
  
"Dee, sit down, you are causing a scene!" I pulled on his shirt as I pleaded. He had to stop.  
  
"No, not until I get something to eat that will stay in my stomach. This is a case of sexual harassment and discrimination. The comment that oldie in the coat said is the one to bump it up to harassment."  
  
"Calm down there, boy. You don't know what you are talking about here." Mr. Jones, the local police chief stood up, taking a deep sip of his coffee. " Why don't you just leave now and stop causing trouble."  
  
"Shove it, I have seen rent-a-cops with more credentials than you doughnut boy. If you think that I, a detective in the homicide division of the 27th precinct in good ole NYC, am going to be frightened by some fat cop who has nothing better to do than sit around and drink coffee all day then you have another thing coming. If I can take on the street like of NYC I think I can handle you!"  
  
"Watch it lily ass!" Chief Jones slammed his cup down. "Some people don't know when to quit, I assume that you are one of them! You win right now, but you wont feel so good after we finish. Tiff, be a good little girl and bring Mr. big shot over there some damn food."  
  
Dee and I ate slowly. I could feel the eyes burning into the back of my head but I did my best to ignore it. Soft chatter filled the room behind me and I tried to play it off as just people talking about their day to day lives, not the local scandal.  
  
We walked out the restaurant together, hand in hand. I was worried about what would happen when we got home. Maybe my uncle would realize that I was and adult and could make my own decisions, which translated to my aunt telling him to be nice.  
  
"Ah shit!" Dee turned around "I forgot my coat and it's damn windy today! I'll be right back." Dee went back into the restaurant and I waited outside of it, watching the door and waiting for him to return.  
  
The hair on the back of my neck stood on end. Something was not right about this. I spun around and was face to face with Jered, the big man who had lead to the death of Jett, the gay who was killed. Everyone knew it but nothing happened. The town had wanted to move on.  
  
"Hello Ryo, you didn't think that we would let you get away with this, did you? Time for you to pay!" He jumped me, knocking me to the gravel. It tore into my back, ripping my shirt to shreds. Two of his cohorts grabbed my arms and held me down. I tried to kick at them but they stayed out of range. "Is that all you have got faggot? Go queer ass fighting moves?" Jered began pounding into my chest and stomach with his fists. He sat on my legs to hold them still.  
  
As much as it hurt, I didn't cry out. I had to prove that I could handle it. I couldn't just call for Dee, it would only make it worse. One of the men holding my arms yanked me up. The other man mirrored his movements. Their rough hands pushed me into the back seat of the car. Jered climbed into the front seat followed by the man who had been on my right side. The left side man came back with me, ready to prevent any trouble.  
  
As they lifted me up I had gotten a look into the restaurant. Chief Jenkens was holding Dee's coat and generally pissing him off. He had been in on this too. He had been in with the plot to kill Jett too I'll bet! The similarities shot through me and turned my stomach. I was going to die. Bikky would be alone! I couldn't do that to him, he had already lost one father. What about Dee? Would he find my body? Could he get over it if he did? There were too many questions and not enough answers to go around.  
  
I couldn't see where they were taking me but I could hear everything. They pulled out of the parking lot and zoomed around the roads. I heard them pass the playground and begin to slow down. God, don't let them do it there! Don't let some kid see this. I could see it now, a small child is traumatized after finding a dead body under the jungle gym.  
  
They were not slowing down to stop, only to turn. A sigh of relief passed through me as the sounds of giggling children passed into the distance. They should never have to deal with finding a body, not even as adults.  
  
When the car did stop it was in a secluded area. I could hear the sounds of birds chirping, the rustle of deer being frightened away, and the babbling of the brook. I knew this place. It was nicknamed Lover's Hideaway and was the most romantic spot to take your date. Oh did they have a sense of irony! Being killed for my love where countless people declared theirs. I was laughing now!  
  
"Get out of the car fag." The left man gripped my arm again and started to drag me out. The place was just as I remembered it. A clearing with a large willow tree and a small brook passing under it. Under the branches of the tree was a small stone bench forgotten by time and polished by all those who sat on it. A fat branch had broken off of the tree and the part still attached served as a stepping stone to climb into the large branches. It was the perfect spot to nestle into if the bench was too cold or not private enough.  
  
They pushed me onto the ground and tied my hands behind my back so that I couldn't struggle. They lifted me to my feet and pushed me at the branches. The leaves whipped my face and I just about hit the bench. I turned myself at the last moment and hit a root.  
  
The three men pushed the branches aside and stepped in. "Time for a little fun faggot." They stood overtop of me, looking down as I looked up. All of the defenses that I had learned to become a cop left me. Shear panic took their place. They started to kick me. It wasn't hard at first, but it hurt. This must have been what they did to Jett. He had suffered just as I was now.  
  
One of their feet collided with my stomach. All of the food that I had fought for was now laying on the ground and greeting my eyes for the second time. They turned me over to avoid having to kick the disgusting puddle and started up again.  
  
A car pulled up and the door opened and shut. The three criminals ran away, but not after one last kick. It was not too hard of a kick, but it knocked my head back into the stone bench. My vision blurred. I saw someone running over to me, I couldn't tell who it was, and reach downward. Before they reached me, my vision went black.  
  
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ooh! Who found him? Was it his uncle who has realized his wrongs? His aunt who has done the same? Dee who doesn't have to realize his wrongs? A friend of his who heard about the plot? Just some random person who has no idea what they are doing in a fanfic? JJ who thought that it was Dee? Riz trying to make it into another panel (Riz- a person who appeared in the third book for an entire panel to say hello to "Randy" thought it was a guy, now not so sure because he looks like a girl but has an extremely flat chest.)  
  
Ok, apology time! Sorry for not updating. As usual, I have an excuse. Last time it was the laptop cord thing, this time it is the musical! Give me a small break here. Practice doesn't end until nine, soon it will go even later, and the only days off I have are Friday, which is reserved for working on the green sword, and Sundays. On Sundays I am dead and anything that I want to do that isn't absolutely required, such as going to my friend's b-day party, ends up getting shoved onto Sunday. Any time that I have away from the musical/green sword is reserved as sleeping time because I need it! I almost fell asleep during a history test and I love my history teacher because he joined the green sword.  
  
Anyway, that is my excuse until April 4th the day after the cast party! So happy! Anyway, I will try to update before then, mostly because there isn't much of the story left! 


	7. Chapter Seven

Alright, thinking extra long if I can!  
  
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My head still ached as I began to open my eyes. I couldn't concentrate on anything but the pain but I couldn't remember why. I was laying on something cold and hard with a blanket overtop of me. It didn't feel right. I pulled up on one part, it wasn't a blanket at all, it was a jacket. Memories flooded back, each causing more pain. I remembered the restaurant first, the looks, the hate, everything. I remembered Dee going back in but I couldn't remember him coming back out. After that was a mystery and pain.  
  
I took a deep breath and felt a deep pain in my side. I had been beat up. Something about a car....they drove me somewhere. Whoever they were, they treated my roughly, shoving me out of the car. They hit me more until something happened, a car pulled up. They ran. A blurry figure was there but I couldn't figure out who it was.  
  
I tried to sit up but it hurt so I gave up. "Hello?" I tested my voice. It was weak, but if the person was near they could hear me.  
  
Verdant eyes came into my view. Dee's dark hair fell over his face as he leaned closer to me. "Ryo, you have no idea how worried I was. What happened?"  
  
"I don't want to talk about it right now, but how did you get here?" It was true, I was in no condition to try to talk to him right now. Everything hurt like hell and I was lucky that I could see straight.  
  
"The perps were easy to find. I heard a car go flying out of the parking lot and looked out of a window. When I didn't see you standing out there I ran to follow them. I headed in the direction that I saw them drive off in but I couldn't follow them. I just kept going straight until I saw fresh tracks in the dirt for this little turn off near a playground. Now no more talking until you are lying in the back seat."  
  
"Dee!" how could he have this on his mind right now! I wasn't up to standing, let alone anything else.  
  
"That isn't what I meant! I want you to lie there and I will drive you home. I'm sure that you are feeling better, but you look like shit. If those ass holes hadn't run off I would have killed one of them...in self defense naturally." Dee's hands pulled on my arms. They were so different from the ones that had gripped them only minutes before....or had it been hours. I had no idea how long I was out. I asked him, causing my head to ach worse. "Only a few minutes. I covered you up with my jacket because you looked cold. I know, I know, I should have called for back up before doing something stupid like this, or at least called 911 when you were hurt, but we left your aunt and uncle's house in such a hurry that my cell phone is still back there waiting for me."  
  
"I think that I can stand without the trip to the emergency room right now. I think I just need a little rest and some Tylenol. Oh, and you might want to put something in the back seat of Aunt Elena's car so that it doesn't get ruined. I think that I already lost what I need to lose but my stomach still isn't feeling so hot." Under my shirt I could feel the bruise forming that kick had been the first hard one, many more had followed.  
  
I laid back in the car with a towel left over from our beach excursion as my pillow. In the mirror, Dee's eyes kept glancing back to be sure that I was still alright. I couldn't see myself in it, but I was sure that I looked terrible.  
  
Dee drove me home and got out of the car. His worried eyes went up and down my body, searching for any missed injuries or new ones. Satisfied that I was just as whole as when he placed me in the car, he bent down to help me out. I wanted to refuse his help and prove that I wasn't weak, but I needed it. My pride could manage another punch, my body couldn't.  
  
Dee guided me to the bathroom and sat me down on the toilet lid. As I walked pass the mirror I got a look at myself. Part of my hair was died red with blood, my sickness still clung to the edges of my mouth, and dirt covered a scratch caused by a rock. Apart from that, a bruise was covering the entire left side.  
  
"Don't over do it" Dee warned as he turned on the hot water and found a washcloth with some help from me. "And tell me if you start to go into shock. I really don't want to take you to the hospital. Looking at how the chief around here was in on this thing I don't think that they would take very good care of you. I cant believe that bastard! He knew what was going on, had to slug him to get my coat back to go get you."  
  
Dee started washing my face off, I wanted to disappear. "Dee, I can do some of this. I'm hurt, but I'm not dead. Let me help some."  
  
"You aren't moving that arm!" he pointed to my left arm. It had been treated rougher than my right and had broken my fall when they pushed me out of the car. "If I had it my way, you wouldn't be sitting up right now. I know that you aren't some baby but just let me do it. I can see the stuff, you cant." He did have a point there. I don't think that I could have stood in front of the mirror very well. It wasn't as much of a physical reason as it was physiological one. I had been friends with Jered. He had never gotten along with Jett even before he came out. We had not been on speaking terms after the attack, but it still hurt that he would turn on me like that.  
  
He cleaned me up and guided me to the living room. He forced me to sit on the couch with him. I wanted to try to get up and move around, not one of my better ideas I admit. "Ryo, you are hurt and I don't even know to what extent. Just sit here and relax with me. If you wont do it for yourself, do it for me. I just watched the man I love be beaten to a pulp by jerks, I need to hold you right now."  
  
It felt good to be in Dee's arms. He had helped me change clothes and inspected me for bruises so he already knew where not to touch. His warm chest was just the bed that I needed. The steady beating of his heart was enough to lull me to sleep, but I warded it off. I did not want to sleep, I wanted to stay in his arms forever, just like this, and be awake for every moment of it.  
  
His lips graced the top of my head, not where it had connected with the bench, and then left again. I struggled to look upwards and into his eyes. He shifted me around to make it easier. I pulled myself up some and began kissing him. It was slow at first, very slow, but it gradually picked up speed.  
  
I reached the height of the kiss when I moved too much. I jerked away from him and called out in pain as it shot through my chest. One of my ribs was hurt, to what extent I had no idea. Dee was instantly sympathetic. He held his comments about my sudden movement and comforted me as much as he could.  
  
"What are you fags up to?" My uncle called from another room. I had forgotten about him. His comments hurt now more than ever but I could do nothing to stop him. I could not convince him that I was not evil for doing this any more than I could stop loving Dee, it just wasn't going to happen.  
  
He walked into the room and growled. I knew what he saw, his beloved, or formerly beloved, nephew in the arms of a man. He could not see my face or any of the wounds. He marched over there, each stop louder than the last, and grabbed my left arm. I cried out in pain louder than I had when the damage had been done. My uncle's face went blank and then to anger.  
  
"You did this to him, didn't you? I knew that your kind was nothing but trouble! Lousy queers! Wasn't he good enough for you or maybe he just didn't put out enough. You make me sick!" He pulled me close to his body to protect me from the 'evil gay man who had attacked me.'  
  
"I'll have you know, it was your kind, homophobes!" Dee stood up to try to get closer to me but my uncle pulled away. Any time that I moved white hot arrows of pain would shoot through me. I could not break away from him. "I was saving him. If you think that he looks bad now, make him take off his shirt!"  
  
"I'm not doing anything to give you any of your sick pleasure! His shirt stays on and that is final!" Uncle Rick hugged me close to him. In any other situation, even if he and Dee were still fighting, I would have been grateful for it. It would mean that he still loved me and would eventually come to terms with who I was. Now I only wanted away. His strong arms were hurting my chest. My ribs ached until I could no longer stand it. I let all of my pain out in one shrill shriek of torment.  
  
Uncle Rick stopped what he was doing and looked down at me. I was breathing heavily and trembling. Dee came closer and scooped me up, with much more care than my uncle had. "His ribs are badly bruised, one might be cracked or even broken." He explained. "They had him on the ground and they were kicking him. You are just lucky that I got there before they killed him like that other man that Ryo told me about on the way home. This is one sick town!" His tone of voice softened as he looked away from my uncle and down at me. "Ryo, babe, you alright?" I nodded and he kissed my forehead. "Lets get another look at those ribs"  
  
Dee pulled up on a corner of my shirt. This time I looked down. I was greeted by brown flesh in some areas, a dark purple in others. He continued to pull it up until we reached the bones in question. He ran his fingers over it lightly, rubbing my hand with his other one as he did.  
  
His eyes flashed upwards into Uncle Rick's. Uncle Rick was staring at it, slack jawed with the idea that anyone could hurt me no matter what the cause. I turned away from him and buried my face in Dee's hair. I took a deep breath, ignoring the pain that went with it, and whispered into his ear. "I love you no matter what they do to me. I will not let them win this."  
  
"You know, this wouldn't have even happened if you had kept your grimy hands off of him." Uncle Rick growled dangerously. The contempt in his voice only heightened as Dee took his eyes off of the wound and back to him. "If it hadn't been for you he might have had a wife by now, you know that that is what he always wanted. Just because you were able to brainwash him into thinking that you give a damn doesn't mean that he wont figure it out. Ryo isn't stupid you know, he just doesn't like thinking that his trust has been betrayed. Some day soon he will look at you and see what you are, a dirty liar who did the evil and then forced the punishment on him."  
  
Uncle Rick stormed out of the room in a huff. He wouldn't admit to being wrong just yet, but he would cave too. I had seen it in his eyes when he looked at my face. No matter what I had done, he still loved me. This new information brought tears to my eyes. Dee got worried that he had done something so I explained what I had figured out. He kissed my eyes and licked away my tears.  
  
"E-hem" a voice sounded from the other side of the room. I looked over and saw my aunt standing in the space that my uncle had just vacated. A steady blush rose to my cheeks as I looked into her eyes. She walked over and hugged me as carefully as she could.  
  
"Ryo baby! Are you alright?" Tears danced in her eyes causing them to shine more than they did to begin with. She kissed my temple before stepping away. "It isn't safe here. I want you two to leave right now. You can borrow my car and get a hotel for the night. I don't know what I would do if something happened to Ryo and I don't want to know what he would do if something happened to you Dee. Ryo, I'm not fine with this yet, but I still love you. I will love Dee as long as you do. Dee, I want you to take good care of him. I will give you some money for a good hotel, three ice packs, and a hot pack. They are the chemical kind that you break the tablet and it starts a reaction to make it hot or cold. I will also send a regular ice pack with you for right now. Oh, and I want you to borrow my car to go there. Call me when you get there so I know where to go. I will take you to the airport from there."  
  
She scurried off into the kitchen and brought back the emergency first aid kit where the chemical packs were located. She dug them out and handed them to Dee before running off to get a bag for them. "Put them in this and I will look for some Advil to send with you. Ryo baby, promise me to wait until you leave the area to get a hotel or visit a hospital. You don't want their help, they are just as bad as the police. Oh, and next time, I think that we will come up to stay a week with you, if that is alright?"  
  
She sent us out of the door with half of her medical supplies which was an extensive amount due to her traveling. Before allowing me to leave she splinted my left arm, worried about it being more than a bad Indian burn and a bruise. I was as well but I could wait until we found a decent place to get care. I wanted away from this town as fast as I could.  
  
Dee pulled out of the driveway and headed away from my old town, away from the painful memories, away from the hatred, and more importantly, away from Jered. I had had enough of that man for the rest of my life. We had to pass his house to leave the town. He was standing in the front lawn with his little sister, his parents, and girlfriend. Dee glanced over to me to see how I was handling it. In full view of everyone, and more importantly, with Jered watching, I kissed Dee's cheek. It was the most that I could do with him driving. If it had been possible to do more I would have, but this would work. Jered got the message and could do little more than scream as Dee hit the gas and gave him a one fingered salute.  
  
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Well, it was a little longer than my usual chapter, just a little longer. This is not the last chapter, I repeat, THIS IS NOT THE LAST CHAPTER!!!!!!!!! Ooh look, caps really do get people's attention!  
  
Ryo may have won the battle against his aunt and uncle, maybe he has given up on his friends, but there is more in store for the beloved jap dude! 


	8. Chapter Eight

ok, i'm sorry, my movie premeirs in under two weeks and we dont have it all edited and we dont have a soundtrack yet, (Geoff, Andrew!!!!) i'm sorry but i have been a little busy. we also have to plan the premeir and my granduation project is on June 2nd. i have been a little over worked. sorry for not updating, sorry if this note seems pissy, i just spend a few hours with a pony who was intent on eating my watch and whatever arm might get in the way. topping it all off, i'm sick. (ok, venting done)

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Aunt Elena's car was more than a little old. It creaked at every hard turn and rumbled as though there were an angry lion hidden in the engine who wanted out. A dark cloud of smoke belched out of the back as Dee hit the gas a little to hard.  
  
We drove for what seemed like forever. We talked a little, but silence seemed to be the best companion for this trip. There was so much to be discussed but no one wanted to talk about it yet. Everything was still to fresh. The only dilemma was that it left me time to think. Thought of how they came at me, attacked me, and hated me for my love filled my mind. Trying to push them away was more imposable than getting Bikky to do his homework. It turned my stomach to even think of their faces.  
  
"Dee," Dee's eyes flashed over for a moment before going back to the road ahead of us. "Pull over, I have to get out."  
  
Dee did as I asked and I got out. I had thought about the attackers too much. The lunch that we had stopped for spilled out on the ground. I clutched my stomach until it was over. Dee's hands overlapped mine. "Don't worry baby, just let it all out. Don't hold back." Cementing his words, he kissed the back of my head lightly and whispered in my ear. "They cant hurt you now, you are safe."  
  
I wobbled back to the car and sat down in the seat next to Dee. He turned around and looked at me. His eyes saw into my soul and read my mind "babe, how about I pull up some to get away from your little mess and then we just sit for a little bit?" He sighed deeply and stuck the key in the ignition. "And there is something that I think I need to tell you."  
  
We pulled up far enough so that we couldn't see the mess and he stopped the car again. He unbuckled and put his arm around me. "I went through the same thing once." I looked up into his eyes, so surprised that I was ashamed. How could I think that I was the only one who had gone through this? "They beat me into the ground because I was gay. After that, I hid it. I broke up with my current boyfriend and went out with a girl. One night I saw the same group of punks doing the same thing to some other guy. That night it hit me, by breaking up with the man I loved, I was letting them win. I had broken up with someone that I loved and was going out with someone that I personally wouldn't care if she fell off a cliff other than wondering why there was a cliff in good ole NYC." Dee hugged me close, or as close as he dared to anyway. "Don't let Jered win."  
  
"I wont." I hugged him back. It hurt but it was worth it just to see him happy. That was what he had been worried about. He had thought that I would leave him. I knew the truth, I couldn't even if I wanted to. It would have been the death of me and then Jered would have won for good.  
  
grr!!!! Too short to be a chapter, necessary for the plot, and doesn't lead into the next part very well!!!! Could this get any worse?!?!?! Well, it could I could end it right here, but I will continue on and everyone will pretend that it is a new chapter because it would have been too short to!  
  
Dee pulled into the parking lot for the hotel. It was near dark and this was one of the few that were decent. It had not taken more than a few hours to get there, but Dee had made sure that the vacation spirit was not lost.  
  
We had stopped at a museum that Dee did not want to go to but suggested it because he knew that I was into art. He, although being an artist, despised art museums because they were "stuffy" and "more suited for rich snobs than artists." It hadn't been very amazing. All of the works there were copies of famous art works like the Mona Lisa and every other cliché piece of art. The reproductions were of low quality, but we had fun anyway.  
  
Dee extended his hand to help me out of the car. After pulling me up, he pulled me close to him. Our chests touched as well as everything below them. A small peak on the cheek and he stepped back. He was still worried about how my body was holding up.  
  
He put his arm around my waist and started guiding me into the hotel lobby. Ashamed of the appearance of my face, I looked down and away from everyone. The receptionist turned her head to the side and looked at me. "I'm sorry sirs, but I don't believe that our policy would allow you to share a room. It says that if there is any suspicion of abuse I cannot allow you to be alone together. I'm sorry, but that is the policy. That and what you are is outright wrong."  
  
Dee's eyes flew to fight mode. "look, he has been through more today than I hope you ever have to go through in your life! A former friend of his just beat him into the ground because he is gay! I do not feel like putting him through any more shit today!"  
  
A bright blush washed over my face. "Dee!" I couldn't believe that he was telling all of this to someone that he didn't even know! "What are you doing?" His face softened and his hand came up to my face, petting the bruise with the lightest of touches.  
  
"Ryo babe, why don't you just sit down. I know that one of those kicks hit your legs, I saw the bruise myself, and I don't want you standing on it until we know everything that happened."  
  
I did go and sit down, not because my leg was bothering me but because I didn't want to hear Dee trying to convince the girl that we should get a room together. I clutched my knees to my chest, ignoring the shots of pain, and tried to keep my eyes dry. He was fighting my battle, but I couldn't help him, I was too weak. Maybe if I hadn't been so weak they never would have been able to hurt me like that. No! That was not the way to think! There was no way that I could have defended myself, everything had just happened too quickly.  
  
Dee sighed visibly and stalked over to where I was sitting. "Well, she still wont let us stay together and we don't have the money for two rooms. I will sleep in the car. I want you to take good care of yourself tonight, got it? If I find out that you didn't sleep then I swear that I will go in your room and make you sleep!"  
  
I agreed and went up to the room after Dee handed me the key. It was a normal boring hotel room with a crappy view and beds as soft as limestone. The walls were done with a hideous red, yellow, and orange striped wall paper with a texture to hide that it was just as cheep as the ancient maroon carpet that must have been found in the tombs of the Egyptians.  
  
I laid down on one of the beds, knowing full well that I would not sleep well. Like the night before, I needed Dee's arms around me. I would need them for a long time, not just now. The only difference was that I no longer wanted them to know that he was safe but for the more selfish reason that I wanted safety. This time I wouldn't crawl back to him. My pride had taken enough damage for the day.  
  
I tossed and turned through the night as much as my body would allow. At some point, I don't remember what time it was, I reached into my jacket pocket and took out some Tylenol PM that Aunt Elena had sent with me. I took two and drifted to slumber-land, the world where dreams and nightmares come true. I was haunted by the latter of the two.  
  
The nightmares that had plagued me before faded into the back of my mind, these were far worse. In the first, Bikky was getting ganged up on because Dee had moved in officially. The other students blamed him for my sins and were not as forgiving as they could have been. When I went to help him he chased me off. Dee had come but not to offer comfort. He smacked me. The only time that he had ever hit me was when I....I was disgracing him. I had thought that he would be low enough to take advantage of my body when my mind was weakened by my parent's murderer. He had knocked some sense into me. This time it came without reason. No, it was with a reason, he hated me.  
  
I woke up to a cold sweat and a hot sun. I rolled over, still numb from the medicine, and looked at the blurry red numbers on the alarm clock. It was almost noon. The pills had knocked me out for longer than I had expected, but I felt much better now.  
  
A solid knock on the door caused me to come back to reality. I answered for them to come in and the door swung open. Dee came in followed closely by Aunt Elena. Dee was at my bedside in a flash with his arm around my back and his other hand on mine.  
  
"Ryo, how are you?" He asked, leaning in closer and closer. "Come here." He did not demand or question, he just whispered it to me, letting me know that he wanted it if I was willing to give anything to him when my aunt stood so close. I leaned forward, seizing his mouth with mine. The kiss was short and there was no deep passion, only concern and affection.  
  
"Dee, I love you." I whispered to his lips. He responded with another tender lip lock.  
  
After our moment of sap, I looked up at my aunt. "It's alright, you can continue," she smiled. "I don't mind that, I just wish that you had told me. I am happy for you, I really am, but I don't like the truth being kept from me."  
  
Dee helped me to get up, not wanting me to have to do anything on my own, and advised that I get a shower before going on the plane. My hair was still dull with the dust kicked up during the scuffle. It would take quite a few washings to get it all out. Dee offered to help me, but I refused him.  
  
"I'll wait out here then and talk to Elena." He offered. I nodded and then turned away. I could hear them sit down on the bed. Maybe now she would get the straight story, well, maybe not straight, but the truth.  
  
They stayed on dull topics such as how we met, when we began dating, the basics. I felt safe that she would not hear anything that I didn't want her to, until she brought up a topic that I wanted to avoid. "So, um, I know that this might be prying, but have you, how should I put this, consummated it yet?"  
  
Dee laughed as I imagined that Aunt Elena turned a lovely shade of red almost matching the carpet. "No, not yet. Ryo seems to be big on waiting. In any other case I would have told them to forget it, the great Dee waits for no one. Since he came along, that changed. For over a year I got nothing more than a kiss, and I had to fight to get those. There is just something different about him. I cant explain it, but I could wait a lifetime for him, just as long as he loves me." Inside the bathroom, my heart melted. It hadn't crossed my mind that he could be that romantic.  
  
"I think he is about ready to change his mind about that. Even before Rick found you two upstairs we suspected something. When he wasn't paying attention his eyes would wander over to you and yours did the same to him. I didn't know if you to had actually gotten together, but I could sense an attraction. Seeing him now, like when you came in here, I could tell that you love each other, not just each other's body. I wish you two the best of luck. Oh, and you were also grabbed his butt when we went to the beach."  
  
I showered as fast as I could and rushed out of the bathroom. Dee pulled me onto his lap and Aunt Elena grabbed my left arm. She redid the split that I had removed before the shower. "You must get this looked at, along with your ribs, as soon as you get home."  
  
I nodded and we were in the car in no time. Aunt Elena had already booked us some plane tickets and we still had enough time for 'breakfast'. We drove out to a local restaurant and got a booth.  
  
Under the table, Dee held my hand in his, letting go only once to cut up some food. A smile stayed on my face no matter how hard I fought it. I leaned in on his arm some and rested my head on his shoulder. I heard someone mutter something about not needing this at this time of day and ignored them. If they couldn't deal with me leaning on Dee, tough luck for them. This was how it was going to be for a long time and nothing could change that.

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Ok, short, I know! Debating as to if I should put up another chapter or not. Things seem rather resolved. Ryo's aunt and uncle love him, he doesn't give a damn what other people think of him, and Dee understands that he is going to get laid. Don't know of anything else to put in there, everything seems rather taken care of if you ask me! if you find something that need to be summed up, email me. i will be in a better mood soon 


	9. Chapter Nine, the chapter that i haddnt ...

Ok, some people asked for another chapter so I decided to supply it. I know that there were several mistakes in the last one, words in there for no reason and words flipped from what order they should be in. That was because I wrote it late at night. This chapter will probably suck in the same way because the movie is not closer to when it premiers, the grad project is done but I don't know the grade, and I am writing this as I half lay, half sit in bed because I am home from school hacking up a lung with a slight fever. Please understand if there are mistakes in here, I'm lucky that I can type. I should be sleeping, but when was the last time that I did what I should? Well, Green Sword forever, God save the monkeys, enjoy the story.  
  
ok, my birthday is today so the present that i will give to myself is a better reputation (updating after a reasonable amount of time)

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Dee pushed the door open and led me to the couch. I told him that I could do it myself, but he refused to let go of me, holding me even tighter. His worried eyes scowered me over, perhaps expecting to see another wound open up before his very eyes. He finally left my side to make me some hot tea, which he knew what my favorite drink.  
  
"After you get a little rest, I'm taking you to the hospital." He announced as he strolled back into the room, tea in hand. I sat up to drink the tea and Dee quickly moved to the space that I had vacated. He put his arms around me, not tightly, but just in a soft embrace. I leaned against him, resting my head on his shoulder, and began to drink my tea. Even if I didn't need him holding me up, it was nice. I could just relax, not think about anything other than the taste of the tea and the feeling of warmth coming from behind me.  
  
I must have fallen asleep like that because I woke up an hour later with Dee still there. Dee's gentle breathing rocked me and, now that I felt safer, I could examine my thoughts some. I would not give in to anyone, not if it meant losing Dee. Uncle Rick still loved me, even if he hated Dee. It wasn't as though the things he said hadn't hurt, they still did even now, but their blows were somewhat lessened. Aunt Elena had accepted me for what I was, and had accepted Dee as well. Jered would never change, but I was ready to deal with that since it had been so long since I had spoken with him.  
  
I moved some and it must have been in the wrong directions. Shots of pain came from my leg and chest. I stifled the cry but the wince jostled Dee enough to wake him up. His soothing hands an over my arms, asking me if I was alright.  
  
"You have rested enough, you are going to the hospital right now." Dee stood up, pulling me up with him, careful not to touch any of the bruises, and wrapped a coat around me, even though it was summer. I appreciated the help, but I didn't need the thick coat. "It's padding," Dee explained, "Because I know that people will bump into you on the way there and I don't need you any more hurt than you already are."  
  
We ended up taking a cab to the hospital, apparently Dee had lost his courage to drive or had decided to stay in the back with me, as though that would help me get better. The drive was somewhat frightening, most cab rides are, but otherwise calm. In the little English that the cabdriver knew, he shouted profanities at the other drivers on the road, revering to his native language, whatever that was, when he saw people who he suspected could understand it. Judging from what he had said in English, I was glad that I couldn't understand it.  
  
When we arrived at the hospital, Dee paid him, no tip, and rushed me inside. He sat me down on one of the chairs and went up to gather the mountains of paperwork that would be required to get so much as a bandaid from this place. He explained the severity of my condition, exaggerating more than a little, to get me taken care of before messing with the paperwork. Surprisingly, he succeeded.  
  
After my clothes were switched with the thin gown, I sat on the examining table waiting for someone to come in and take care of me. Dee waited with me, holding my hand in his and ready to snap at someone. The nurse came in first to take care of the little things, weight, height, blood pressure, for the normal reasons. She explained that the weight was to make sure that I was not malnourished, the height was also to help them with that, and the blood pressure was to look for underlying problems. After those were taken care of, she ushered Dee out of the room.  
  
"Now, please answer these questions for me. First, in what way did you acquire these wounds?" She read off of the paper she held in her hands and then looked up at me for the answer.  
  
"I was attacked." I did not want anyone to hear of my weakness, no one other than who already know. "I wasn't expecting it."  
  
"Do you know who attacked you?" She scribbled something down on the paper. I told her that it had happened out of town and she scribbled more information down on the sheet of paper. "And why did it take days for you to ask for treatment?"  
  
"This is the first chance I got, I didn't trust the hospitals down there, even the police were corrupt." I pulled at the edge of my gown, worried about where the conversation was going. I had done enough police investigations to know that there was abuse suspected, and Dee was the official culprit at the moment.  
  
"Tell me, and answer honestly, is there any violence in your home?" Her eyes pierced into me as though she were dissecting me like a frog. I felt exposed, more than I already was.  
  
"Well, not really. I'm a detective from the 27th precinct and sometimes my work follows me home, but other than the occasional criminal, no." She was not satisfied with the answer and asked me more about abuse until I had had enough. "No! Dee has only hit me once in the entire time I have known him, and that was well deserved! I suggested that he would be low enough to take advantage of my fragile mental state to get me into bed with him. He knocked some sense into me and for that I am thankful. Dee would never do anything to hurt me, ever! He is the one who saved me from those barbarians who were trying to kill me!"  
  
"Please, Mr. Mclean, I did not mean any harm, we have to ask these questions if there is even the slightest of injury to the patient. We even had to ask these to a poor man whose only wound was received when he stepped on a rusty nail and to the one who received a nasty scratch from his neighbor's cat which got infected. These are only routine. I saw how he looked at you, I don't suspect any abuse, but human judgment doesn't count much in the world of medicine it seems." The nurse finished scribbling down the last answer that I gave and I realized how little I have been hospitalized outside of police work, where they just assume that it was the bad guy who gave the bullet wound, not your lover.  
  
The nurse finished with her business and Dee was invited back in the room. He stood next to the exam table that I sat on. It would probably be some time before the doctor came in. They knew that my condition was not so serious as to need immediate attention and there could easily be someone who did need it. During the time that we waited, Dee did little other than stand there, or maybe hold my hand some.  
  
I was about ready to fall asleep, using Dee's shoulder as a pillow, when the doctor finally entered. He was an elderly man that I had seen before in the hospital while visiting Dee, Drake, JJ, Ted, and most any other officer who ended up here, he was a far cry from Dee's "gorilla nurse."  
  
"Randy, is it?" He asked, looking over the notes left from the nurse. I nodded and he approached me, setting the clipboard on the stool. "Ok, lets have a look at you. Top to bottom or bottom to top? Lets try top to bottom, shall we?"  
  
I nodded and he began to poke around through my hair, feeling the place where my head had connected with the stone bench. "Hmm, nice little lump you've got there. I doubt that it is too much and any damage that happened has cleared up by now, I'm sure but we can run an x-ray on it if you want. If not, just make sure not to smack it again." He moved down to looking at my arms, my left one in particular. "This arm worries me a little. It could be broken, but only a hairline fracture at most. We should run an x-ray there, just in case. Your chest too, I can already see the burse through the gown. May I ask you to remove the gown so that I can have a better look at it. Here, I'll give you a towel to wrap around yourself for modesty's sake."  
  
The doctor continued his examination, marking me down for three x-rays by the end of it. One for my arm, one for my chest, and one for my leg. The final results were that my ribs were badly bruised, but had held up well to the beating. My arm did have a hairline fracture, but nothing too big. He put an air cast on it rather than a bulky plaster one, saying that it was more suited to it. My leg was broken and I ended up on crunches and received strict orders to keep off it as much as possible. He prescribed a heavy pain medication and warned me about taking too much of it before he sent me home. Overall, I though that it wasn't bad, considering that they had killed Jett. Then again, Dee had gotten there before they could do too much.  
  
When we got home, there was a message on the phone. Dee placed it on speakerphone and sat me down on the couch. We heard the beep signaling the beginning of the message and the sound of someone clearing their through. "Ryo, I hope that you are alright. I didn't mean what I said about Dee hurting you, I don't think that he would ever hurt you. And, what I said about it being his fault because he loved you back, well, if it wasn't him then it would have been someone else." My uncle paused before continuing. I could tell that it was hard for him to say this. He was a very proud man and admitting his faults did not come easily to him. "Try to understand, I always thought of Ryo as my little child, even though he is grown up now, and also I was raised learning that it was wrong, all of this town was raised like that so try not to hold that against them. Anyway, your aunt wants you to call whenever you get back home. She would also like to come up and visit you, so would I. Well, good bye."  
  
Dee stood over the phone for a moment, confused. "But didn't they only take you in after you were eighteen?"  
  
"I thought I told you, my parents were busy a lot when I was young so they would always come and take care of me or I would go to their house. They almost spent more time with me than my parents. Could you call my aunt, this painkiller is making me tired and I want to get some sleep. Thank you, I love you."

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Ok, at this point, I am really lucky that I can type. About to fall asleep here, there are probably more mistakes closer to the end and i cant edit my own work AND post it after a reasonable amount of time, it doesnt work. truth be told, i delayed posting for about a week thinking that i would edit it, but it didnt happen. my movie is three days away from premeiring!!!! AAAHHH!!!  
  
Anyway, flamer, please don't even bother pointing out the grammar mistakes in this specific chapter, I know that they are there. Feel free to point them out in my other works, but in this one I already acknowledge their existence and yet I am too sick to do something about them. God i hate motrin! it made me so out of it that i picked up something hot and thought "i shouldnt be holding sharp things in my condition" so i have decided not to take anymore. 


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